Fashion retailer Carraig Donn, which has 38 stores across Ireland, has made its first foray into the UK, opening its first store in Newcastle, with a second to follow in November in Sheffield.
The company said that the € 1m investment in the UK strategy will create 30 new jobs across the two new stores in addition to key management roles at the company’s headquarters in Westport, Co Mayo.
Managing director Patrick Hughes said the company had conducted extensive market research in both locations, and found a market niche for the brand.
“We believe that the Carraig Donn brand is a good demographic fit, and that there is a demand for our unique product set and our ‘boutique department store’ approach. We view this expansion as a learning curve in a new market, and it is our ambition to open further UK stores in the coming years,” he said.
Carraig Donn said it is expecting double digit growth for the current financial year in the Irish market, having recently opened two new stores in south Dublin at Dundrum and Nutgrove Shopping Centres. Turnover for the group in 2014 was € 35 million.
